Explore Big Sky - February 9 to 22, 2023

February 9 - 22, 2023

Volume 14 // Issue #3

BIG SKY SKIJORING CONTINUES TO THRIVE

REMEMBERING LOCAL LEGEND

JOHN KIRCHER

THORN APPLE BAKING CO. BRINGS TREATS AND COFFEE TO MEADOW VILLAGE CENTER

BIG SKY SNO TO REVEAL CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

PLUS: BOZEMAN CHEF ‘SUSHI PAUL’ MAKES HIS OWN RULES

February 9 - 22, 2023

Volume 14, Issue No. 3

Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana

PUBLISHER

Eric Ladd | eric@theoutlawpartners.com

EDITORIAL

MANAGING EDITOR

Jason Bacaj | jason@theoutlawpartners.com

DIGITAL PRODUCER

Julia Barton | julia@theoutlawpartners.com

STAFF WRITER

Jack Reaney | jack@theoutlawpartners.com

EDITORIAL CONSULTANT

Leslie Kilgore | leslie@theoutlawpartners.com

CREATIVE

LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ME Brown | maryelizabeth@theoutlawpartners.com

SALES AND OPERATIONS

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Rob Smith | rob@theoutlawpartners.com

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

Megan Paulson | megan@theoutlawpartners.com

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Treston Wold | treston@theoutlawpartners.com

VP DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Hiller Higman | hiller@theoutlawpartners.com

MEDIA AND EVENTS DIRECTOR

Ersin Ozer | ersin@theoutlawpartners.com

MARKETING MANAGER

Sophia Breyfogle | sophia@theoutlawpartners.com

CONTENT PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Mira Brody | mira@theoutlawpartners.com

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Tucker Harris | tucker@theoutlawpartners.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT

Sara Sipe | sara@theoutlawpartners.com

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD

Patrick Mahoney | patrick@theoutlawpartners.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Rich Addicks, Badger, Tyler Busby, Dan Egan, Marne Hayes, Rachel Hergett, Andrew Kircher, Mark E. LaRowe, Jed Sanford, Madeline Thunder, Paul Swenson, Cy Whitling

Lone Peak High School girls

basketball senior captain Jessie Bough leaps to keep the ball in bounds in a close-fought 42-50 loss against Manhattan Christian on Jan. 26. Both LPHS varsity basketball teams will celebrate senior night on Feb. 10 in a home game against Sheridan High School. PHOTO BY RICH ADDICKS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REMEMBERING LOCAL LEGEND JOHN KIRCHER

A ski industry visionary, John Kircher dies at 64 John Kircher, a longtime member of the Big Sky community and former Big Sky Resort general manager, died on Jan. 28. He was 64. EBS spoke to John’s son, Andrew, and the resort’s president and COO Taylor Middleton about the loss.

BIG SKY SNO TO REVEAL CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

Big Sky SNO to reveal climate action plan

Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization has finalized its climate action plan after months of locally-based design. The plan’s aim is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 while purchasing as few carbon offsets as possible and will be announced at the Independent with keynote speaker Conrad Anker.

THORN APPLE BAKING CO. BRINGS TREATS AND COFFEE TO MEADOW VILLAGE CENTER

New bakery, coffee shop to open in Meadow Village Jennifer Fitzhugh came to Big Sky a little more than a decade ago to serve as the executive pastry chef at Big Sky Resort. This past summer, she left the resort and brought along Elissa Skaggs, her coworker of five years, to open Thorn Apple Baking Co.

BIG SKY SKIJORING CONTINUES TO THRIVE

ON THE COVER:

The fifth annual "Best in the West Showdown" skijoring event in Big Sky drew its largest crowd yet with theatrics like flames, a jump over a hot jump and a snowmobile exposition alongside highly skilled skijoring professionals. PHOTO BY JED SANFORD

EDITORIAL POLICIES

EDITORIAL POLICY

Outlaw Partners, LLC is the sole owner of Explore Big Sky. EBS reserves the right to edit all submitted material. Printed material reflects the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of Outlaw Partners or its editors. EBS will not publish anything discriminatory or in bad taste.

EBS welcomes obituaries written by family members or from funeral homes. To place an obituary, please submit 500 words or less to media@theoutlawpartners.com.

#explorebigsky

Big Sky Skijoring thrives in fifth year

The Big Sky Skijoring Association held its Best in the West Showdown Feb. 5-6, resulting in a dramatic and well-attended two-day event. However, the entire competition was almost canceled at the last minute due to mechanical issues, until Moonlight Basin lent a snowcat.

PLUS: BOZEMAN CHEF ‘SUSHI PAUL’ MAKES HIS OWN RULES

A la Carte: For the love of fish

EBS columnist Rachel Hergett talked with Paul Naugle, the chef/ owner at Bozeman’s Izakaya Three Fish restaurant who is fondly called “Sushi Paul” by his patrons, about his passion for sushi and his unique restaurant with no menu.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the editor allow EBS readers to express views and share how they would like to effect change. These are not Thank You notes. Letters should be 250 words or less, respectful, ethical, accurate, and proofread for grammar and content. We reserve the right to edit letters and will not publish individual grievances about specific businesses or letters that are abusive, malicious or potentially libelous. Include: full name, address, phone number and title. Submit to media@outlaw.partners.

ADVERTISING DEADLINE

For the February 23, 2022 issue: February 15, 2022

CORRECTIONS

Please report errors to media@outlaw.partners.

OUTLAW PARTNERS & EXPLORE BIG SKY

P.O. Box 160250, Big Sky, MT 59716 (406) 995-2055 • media@theoutlawpartners.com

© 2023 Explore Big Sky unauthorized reproduction prohibited

ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED IS DEEMED RELIABLE BUT IS NOT GUARANTEED AND SHOULD BE INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED. INFORMATION AND DEPICTIONS ARE SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, PRIOR SALES, PRICE CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. NO GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY HAS JUDGED THE MERITS OR VALUE, IF ANY, OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ADVERTISEMENT OR ANY REAL ESTATE DESCRIBED OR DEPICTED HEREIN. THIS MATERIAL SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL IN ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE PRIOR REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED OR WHERE SUCH AN OFFER WOULD BE PROHIBITED, AND THIS SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH ANOTHER REAL ESTATE AGENT. NOTHING HEREIN SHALL BE CONSTRUED AS LEGAL,

ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.

JOHN EVERETT KIRCHER

John Everett Kircher, 64, of Big Sky, Montana, died peacefully on January 28, 2023, after a courageous battle with cancer. John remained brave, strong, and positive in his final days. He was surrounded by devoted friends and loving family members.

John married Kim Huleen Kircher, the love of his life, in 2005. They divided their time between mountains and surf, residing in two of John’s favorite places, Maui, Hawaii and Big Sky, Montana.

John was born to Everett Frank Kircher and Mary “Carol” Carolyn Reeves on February 18, 1958, in Petoskey, Michigan. John graduated from Boyne City High School, attended the University of Michigan, and later received a business degree from Western Michigan University.

John was born to be a ski area operator. When John’s mother went into labor during a Northern Michigan snowstorm, Everett drove her to the hospital in a 1956 Tucker Sno Cat. John lived his first few years in the Main Lodge at the base of Boyne Mountain. He was selling lift tickets by age

12, and driving snow cats, making snow, and loading chairlifts all by age 16.

John arrived in Big Sky Resort in 1981 beginning his long-time role as the General Manager. John would eventually manage four ski areas and become Boyne Resorts President of Western Operations. By 2007 he oversaw 1.75 million skier visits. In 2010 Cypress Mountain would host six events in the Winter Olympics under his management. John built numerous chair lifts, including the one-of-akind tram to Big Sky’s Lone Peak in 1995, and the first 8-passenger gondola in Washington state at Crystal Mountain.

While his career was peppered with big projects, it was his love of the sport and consideration of others that will be most remembered. Some would say he was the “kindest person they ever met.” He would think nothing of pulling a stranger’s car from a snowy ditch or listening intently to a customer’s complaints. John was a proud father, a devoted husband, a loving brother, and a loyal friend to many. He was a fantastic storyteller with the funniest one-liners imaginable.

John was a beautiful skier and a gifted athlete. His love for aviation took him all over the world, and also inspired his son, Andrew, to follow in his footsteps as a pilot. John craved adventure, and he loved nature whether surfing in Indonesia, ski touring in the Alps or fishing for tarpon from a

houseboat in the Costa Rican jungle. John sucked the marrow out of life. He was spontaneous and could sweep others into his escapades with ease. John’s shenanigans might include turning the ski lifts on after hours for powder turns under the night lights, last minute trips to Alaska or Japan because, “it’s always snowing somewhere,” or launching a snowball battle royale forming teams and fortresses in the base area of the ski hill. He was loved by many and will be missed by all.

John was preceded in death by his father Everett, his mother Carol, and his stepmother Lois. John is survived by his wife Kim, son Andrew Kircher (Stephanie), daughter Evelyn Kircher, sister Amy Kircher Wright (Greg), sister Kathryn Kircher, brother Stephen Kircher (Molly) and several adoring nieces and nephews.

The memorial service will be held at Big Sky Chapel at noon on February 11, 2023. Seating is limited. A Celebration of Life will follow immediately at the Yellowstone Conference Center Ballroom.

Memorial gifts can be made in John’s name to Mayo Clinic at https://philanthropy.mayoclinic. org/johnkircher.

Condolences & memories may be shared with the family at www.dahlcares.com.

Celebrating 30 Years of Resort Tax

In 1992, voters elected to collect a local sales tax in Big Sky to fund the services and programs that would otherwise fall on the shoulders of residents through property taxes. Over the past 30 years, nearly $94 million of awards have played a significant role in funding priority programs and projects throughout Big Sky.

Total Awarded Over 30 Years:

$93,846,339

Impact Areas:

BSRAD recently released the FY22 annual report outlining the considerations that go into responsibly administering public dollars, as well as the importance these funds have played in the community.

We are truly BETTER TOGETHER.

The

LOCAL

NEWS IN BRIEF

CHINESE SPY BALLOON SPOTTED OVER MONTANA AS STATE SENATOR MOVES TO CURB FOREIGN ADVERSARIES

EBS STAFF

A suspected Chinese surveillance balloon above U.S. airspace was visible from Montana—home to Malmstrom Air Force Base and fields of nuclear missile silos— on Feb. 1, according to reporting from The Associated Press.

Although the Biden administration reportedly wanted to down the balloon on Feb. 1, military officials advised the president that shooting the balloon 60,000 feet in the air could pose undue risk to people on the ground. The balloon continued to drift above the country until Feb. 4 when a U.S. military jet shot it down with a missile over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina.

The balloon was detected days after a hearing on a bill to prevent foreign adversaries from buying up agricultural land in Montana. Sen. Ken Bogner, R-Miles City, is sponsoring the bill heard on Jan. 26 that he said will help protect the U.S. from foreign adversaries, including China.

In a Feb. 2 statement, Bogner said news of the balloon proves that his legislation, which would ban foreign adversaries from owning, leasing or renting critical infrastructure in Montana, is needed.

UM LAW STUDENTS FREE MAN WRONGLY CONVICTED OF MURDER

EBS STAFF

Two students at the University of Montana Alexander Blewett III School of Law were among a cohort that worked with the Montana Innocence Project to free Bernard Pease, a Billings man who was wrongfully convicted of murder 40 years ago.

Brandy Keesee, a first-generation college student and first-year law student, and third-year law student Annabelle Smith interviewed Pease’s family members, researched letters from the 1980s and ’90s, wrote letters on Pease’s behalf, did legal research and helped file appeals to ultimately free the innocent man.

“Students at other schools will get to write papers about people like Bernard Pease,” Keesee said. “We get to actually help.”

Pease was incarcerated based on forensic testing methods deemed invalid with modern DNA testing, according to MTIP Legal Director Caiti Carpenter.

PROPOSED BILL WOULD FORCE MONTANA CITIES TO ALLOW SMALLER HOME LOTS

EBS STAFF

House Bill 337, brought to the Montana Legislature on Jan. 31, aims to increase the number of affordable homes in Montana cities by dictating a new minimum lot size anywhere with city-supplied water and sewer.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Katie Zolnikov, R-Billings, would bar local governments from requiring minimum lot sizes larger than 2,500 square feet. The proposed size is much smaller than the existing minimum lot sizes in many local zoning codes which is 4,000 square feet in Bozeman and 20,000 square feet in an area of Kalispell, according to reporting by Montana Free Press.

Current size restrictions are harsh on development, encouraging sprawl and forcing builders to build bigger, pricier homes, say supporters of the reduction bill. Smaller minimum lot sizes would allow for smaller, more affordable homes.

Opponents argued that lawmakers should leave cities alone, some even dismissing the bill’s ideas as “California solutions.”

US EXPLORES LIFTING FEDERAL PROTECTIONS OVER MONTANA GRIZZLY BEARS

EBS STAFF

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Feb. 3 announced that it is exploring whether grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems still require protection under the Endangered Species Act.

State officials provided “substantial” information suggesting that grizzlies have recovered from the threat of extinction in the regions surrounding Yellowstone and Glacier national parks, according to USFWS.

Gov. Greg Gianforte and other Republican officials, who’ve long sought to restore grizzly bear management to state agencies and offer grizzly hunts to the public, welcomed the announcement. Environmental and conservation groups expressed concern over the state’s ability to manage a healthy and sustainable population.

According to USFWS’s last five-year review, there are about 1,100 grizzlies living in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem; 740 in the NCDE. Before their near-extinction in the 19th and 20th centuries, an estimated 50,000 grizzlies roamed across much of the American West.

STATE LAWMAKERS DEBATE MEDICAL ‘RIGHT OF CONSCIENCE’ BILL

EBS STAFF

House Bill 303, which would allow health care providers to deny service to patients based on their personal “ethical, moral, or religious beliefs or principles,” was intensely debated during an initial state House Judiciary Committee hearing on Jan. 30.

The bill received more than two hours of testimony from 10 proponents and 22 opponents, drawing support from Montana health care providers and conservative religious groups. Proponents argued that the bill protects freedom of speech and religion for medical providers that object to certain services such as abortion and gender affirming procedures for transgender patients.

Health care providers, medical industry groups and LGBTQ patients urged lawmakers to table the bill, calling the bill a “get-out-of-jail-free card” that employees can use to discriminate against patients.

As of EBS’s press day, the committee has yet to vote on the bill.

PUBLIC NOTICE

CALL FOR FY24 RESORT TAX FUNDING APPLICATIONS

The Big Sky Resort Area District is accepting Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) for the FY24 (7/1/236/30/24) funding cycle beginning on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. An LOI is an organization’s formal request to apply for Resort Tax funds. Approved projects will be invited to complete Applications beginning Wednesday, March 1, 2023. As required by law, an applicant must be a legal entity formed under the laws of the State of Montana. The applicant must be “an entity” that is capable of both “legally and practically” carrying out the purpose of the allocation and located within the Resort Area District. The applicant must be a governmental unit, corporation, or limited partnership with the capability of being legally bound by an agreement.

LOIs and supporting documents must be completed using the online portal by Wednesday, February 15, 2023, to be considered. Applications and supporting documents must be completed using the online portal and must be submitted by Friday, March 31, 2023, to be considered for funding. More information can be found at ResortTax.Org/Funding or by contacting the District Office at 406-995-3234.

A SKI INDUSTRY VISIONARY, JOHN KIRCHER DIES

AT 64

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—John Kircher, a longtime member of the Big Sky community and former Big Sky Resort general manager, died on the afternoon of Jan. 28. He was 64.

Kircher’s death came less than a year after he was diagnosed with colon cancer. By early December 2022, he was also diagnosed with peritoneal carcinomatosis, a rare form of abdominal cancer. According to a post on CaringBridge written by John’s wife, Kim, “he was surrounded by family and friends [on Saturday]… I gathered a list of loved ones and we held a vigil for him.” A celebration of life will be held on Feb. 11 in Big Sky, which John helped plan during his final days.

The oldest son of late Boyne Resorts co-founder Everett Kircher, John will be remembered for his impact in the modern ski industry. After stepping into Big Sky Resort’s GM role in 1980, he became widely known for spearheading the Lone Peak Tram project in the early 1990s. He then spent roughly two decades of his career as president, CEO and, briefly, owner of Crystal Mountain Resort in Washington. He was a passionate skier, surfer, hiker, mountain biker, angler and hunter. He continued to partake in outdoor sports for months after his surprising diagnosis in April 2022, Kim wrote. He even had the strength to ski on this past Christmas.

Kircher lived his final days in hospice in Big Sky, as snow piled up outside. He leaves behind a son and daughter.

In a phone call with Explore Big Sky, Andrew Kircher remembered his father as his greatest mentor in life.

“He has basically taught me everything I know up to this point,” Andrew said. “He was just such a kind person. He really took the time to have very meaningful interactions with everyone he met. His number-one value was family and friendship above all else.”

Andrew described the final weeks spent with his father as tragic, but with a silver lining. Not only did his father confront physical decline with bravery and peace, but he made a concerted effort to spend time with close friends and family members.

“We were able to come closer as a family than ever before. He was open to having deep conversations as a family, mending ties and [resolving] any issues that were outstanding,” Andrew said.

“He confronted [the Illness] head on, just like he did anything else in his life,” he added. “He had the same mindset. He took it day by day, and at every stage he made a plan. He was so brave and so determined to fight. He promised the whole family he would fight as long as he could.”

Andrew said that of all things in his life, John was most proud of his children.

“He was so proud of me. He always told me that. He was proud of my sister, Evelyn, and the people we’ve become. I’m not trying to boast about it, but he certainly always told us how proud of us he was.”

Taylor Middleton, chief operations officer and president of Big Sky Resort, spoke on the phone with EBS about his years working with Kircher.

“It’s endless, the stories you could tell when you spend so many years with John,” said Middleton, who began

working for the resort just months after a young Kircher arrived and became general manager in 1980. Back then, Middleton recalled, Big Sky Resort was like a big chunk of marble which hadn’t been carved into a statue yet.

“I worked with him and traveled with him, and brainstormed with him, and had a great opportunity to share [much of] my career with him,” Middleton said.

“John was a big personality. He was a great storyteller. He could mesmerize people with stories, not just about skiing, but about things he was reading. He kept up with news around the world. He was a smart guy and a joy to interact with. He just loved talking to people.

“He made people feel welcome, like they were important,” Middleton said.

Kircher was a passionate resort operator, according to Middleton. He did “the little things” well and loved the details of running a ski area. He would break lift operators and run chairlifts or get to work behind the omelet bar.

“He loved interacting with staff and guests alike,” Middleton said. “He would roll his sleeves up and get into running a resort on a firsthand basis. It helped

him understand what the work was like so he could manage around it.”

Middleton said Kircher taught him about improving processes.

“[John] would say, ‘Taylor, take that puzzle and put it on your desk. Completely dismantle it, and reassemble it. And make it better,’” Middleton recalled. “That was one of his operating theories… it’s a metaphor for how he would think. He was never satisfied. He was willing to think different and experiment.”

Since age 16, Kircher was a licensed small-craft airplane pilot, holding various certifications including water-pontoon planes. Middleton said that Kircher’s love for domestic and international travel gave him ideas which he brought to Big Sky, including the Lone Peak Tram—despite widespread doubts, he persisted to execute that vision.

“John was not afraid of risk,” Middleton said. “He was not afraid to try something new or do something big. The combination of those two things created one of the pieces of magic that John Kircher had.”

Andrew said John’s accomplishments didn’t just come from his visionary thinking, but also his position to design ski mountains in a way he thought would best be skied.

“His passion and motivation always stemmed from the hope that skiers around him would enjoy the mountains as much as he did. That was his bottom line,” Andrew said.

In 1997, Kircher moved on to manage Boyne Resorts’ Western region, while also serving as general operations manager at Crystal Mountain in Washington, Middleton said. He led acquisitions of ski areas in Utah, Washington and British Columbia before selling his stake in Boyne and purchasing Crystal Mountain in 2017, where he’d been based for two decades.

In Kim Kircher’s Jan. 29 post announcing John’s passing, she wrote that John told her to “send his soul in the right direction and he would see us on the mountain.”

John Kircher continued skiing into the final months of his life. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW KIRCHER

Kircher (left) helps with survey work atop Lone Mountain in the early 1990s. PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG SKY RESORT

BIG SKY SNO TO REVEAL CLIMATE ACTION PLAN

AIM IS FOR A NET-ZERO BIG SKY BY 2050; ATHLETE AND ACTIVIST CONRAD ANKER TO OFFER

KEYNOTE DISCUSSION AT FEB. 16 COMMUNITY EVENT

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—By 2050, Big Sky could lose between six and 29 days of skiing per year without collective action on climate change, according to the Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment.

Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization has finalized its climate action plan after months of locally-based design, in its most recent step to prevent that narrowing winter.

According to a Big Sky SNO press release, the Community CAP was rooted in feedback from more than 30 local businesses and organizations in order to “identify community tactics and strategies to achieve local and regional level climate-related goals.” The CAP is designed to empower individuals and organizations to focus on four main priorities: buildings and energy, transportation, consumption and waste, and the natural environment surrounding Big Sky. The plan’s aim is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 while purchasing as few carbon offsets as possible.

The details of the plan will be unveiled at 6 p.m. on Feb. 16 at the Independent, as part of a free event featuring a keynote speech from Bozeman-based North Face and Protect Our Winters athlete Conrad Anker and short films sponsored by POW, a climate activism group based in Boulder, Colo. The event is expected to run 80-90 minutes, and should be “fun, inspirational, educational and enlightening.”

That’s according to Lizzie Peyton, Big Sky SNO’s director of community sustainability, who spoke on the phone with EBS about the launch event.

Peyton explained that SNO is a nonprofit formed in 2020 by community leaders looking to curb negative environmental impacts of Big Sky’s rapid growth by identifying pathways for sustainable growth. The first step to comprehensive planning, she said, was an inventory of existing greenhouse gas emissions based on NorthWestern Energy data from 2018 and 2019.

The biggest takeaway was the 87 million miles traveled each year along the Gallatin Canyon between Bozeman and Big Sky, she added. Chairlifts are another unusual but significant source of energy consumption, according to Peyton.

Big Sky SNO consulted with various community leaders and business owners in the past year to design the CAP around Big Sky’s unique challenges and capabilities.

“The Big Sky economy is reliant on the outdoor tourism industry, so it is in our community’s best interest to take actions to preserve our environment [for] future generations,” Peyton wrote in a follow-up email.

Because Big Sky isn’t incorporated, Peyton pointed out the challenges of enforcing action items outlined in the CAP. She said Big Sky’s lack of government impacted the CAP’s design, as it relies more on empowering individuals than on enforcing policy.

To reach “net-zero emissions,” Big Sky SNO will purchase carbon offsets as a last resort to account for all remaining carbon emissions. The cost of carbon offsets will fund environmentally positive activities elsewhere, such as planting trees or building solar arrays.

“We’re trying to get as far as we can without purchasing offsets, because we believe [net-zero] should come from within the community,” Peyton said.

The press release states that the CAP “offers a projected perspective on the reality of future emissions if activities are to remain on the same track as ‘Business-As-Usual’; an abysmal trajectory for the future of Big Sky and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”

Peyton said the Feb. 16 event is intended to be “super fun” and empower individuals to walk away thinking, ‘these are three things I can actually do every day to improve my environment.’

“You get to see a rad person speak, and you’re going to learn how our local environment is changing… [Anker is] a leader in outdoor recreation, and he’s really knowledgeable about climate activism. He can connect the dots to why being outside is being affected by the changing climate.

“It’s the watershed, it’s the forest, it’s the mountains. It’s every piece of why we live here,” Peyton said.

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MORNINGSTAR LEARNING CENTER HOLDING FOCUS GROUPS TO ID FAMILY NEEDS

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Morningstar is hosting discussions to unify the community around the needs of families supporting young children in Big Sky.

Executive director Mariel Butan told EBS that anyone is welcome, but the ideal participants are people expecting a child or current caregivers of children up to age 8. Discussions will be facilitated by local resident Lori Addicks, CEO and President of Larkspur Group, a strategy and consulting firm, and anyone can sign up for the final of three events, being held on Feb. 13.

Participants can expect to answer some form of three questions: What resources do you have? What resources do you not have that you wish you did? If you could make Big Sky perfect for young families, what would it look like?

“Everything that we’re doing comes back to ‘how do we increase child care capacity for this town?’” Butan said. “Inherent in [increasing capacity] is that it is quality child care, because I will accept nothing less. It’s gotta be high quality, and it’s gotta be accessible to everyone in the community.”

The focus groups are not solely based on Morningstar, Butan explained. She hopes the discussions will shine light on widespread needs of anyone pregnant, planning a pregnancy, planning an adoption, or raising a young child from birth. Many families are on Morningstar’s “very lengthy waitlist,” she added, or they’ve taken a different approach to child care. Those caregivers may still have unmet needs.

“We recognize that Morningstar is not the only provider of services for that period of time in a family’s life in

this community. There are other services and resources that families should have, or want to have, to have a well-rounded and thriving experience as a family in Big Sky—that have nothing to do with Morningstar.

“We’re trying to capture [child care needs] so we can share with our community partners—be it BSCO, the library, Big Sky Medical Center,” Butan said.

She said these family-oriented focus groups were inspired in part by the recent discussions held by BSCO to brainstorm a new community facility. Nearly 150 community members participated.

“This is a conversation that hopefully will spark… that magic that happens when people are talking about ideas in the same place, [building] off each other,” Butan said.

As the primary source of early child care service in Big Sky, Butan said Morningstar holds a unique position to hold this unique conversation. Community feedback will also inform Morningstar’s plans to increase their own capacity.

Campus expansion project

Morningstar owns the two lots adjacent to its present building. The provider moved into its primary lot in 2011. The second lot was purchased in 2018 with the intention of expanding its facility.

“We’ve been spending this year doing a feasibility study, not just [to answer] what can we physically do with our land, but what is the best way that we can utilize our resources to meet the needs of this community,” Butan said.

The project aims to ultimately add teachers and classroom space.

“As we all know, in any field in Big Sky right now, bringing in new people if you don’t have housing is very difficult,” Butan said. “That is another component of our project: housing for teachers, and physical space to have more children enrolled at Morningstar. It’s really important to have both of those components.”

If Morningstar determines a plan to build on its secondary lot, the next step would be funding. Butan said the project would be paid for by “a number of funding sources as part of an overall capital campaign.”

She pointed out that a common misconception among locals, which is that Morningstar is “all set” after having received a total of nearly $900,000 in total federal grant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. That money has been applied to Morningstar’s operations, which run a deficit in order to pay teachers a living wage while keeping tuition affordable; these are financially conflicting goals at the moment, Butan said, but Morningstar remains focused on preserving both community access and quality of care.

“I think the narrative of ‘Morningstar is struggling’ gets tired,” Butan added. “The truth is, we’re doing really well, if you look at where we were a year or two ago. Because of some of the investments we’ve made in our classrooms, in our staff, in supporting them and developing them. They’ve done incredible work in a relatively short period of time.”

Since Butan started at Morningstar in 2021, this is the longest stretch she’s seen without a teacher leaving. The stretch coincides with a decision to suspend childcare on Fridays, a difficult short-term measure taken in order to offer more consistent service and a happier staff.

THORN APPLE BAKING CO. BRINGS TREATS AND COFFEE TO MEADOW VILLAGE CENTER

BIG SKY’S NEWEST BAKERY SPECIALIZES IN DIETARY RESTRICTIONS

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Jennifer Fitzhugh came to Big Sky a little more than a decade ago to serve as the executive pastry chef at Big Sky Resort. This past summer, she left the resort and brought along Elissa Skaggs, her coworker of five years, to open Thorn Apple Baking Co.

Fitzhugh explained that the bakery name is based on a street in Michigan.

“I saw the [street] name years ago, and it stuck with me,” she said. “I always thought that would be a great bakery name.”

Located near the Country Market in the Meadow Village Center, Thorn Apple’s location was most recently occupied by Lone Peak Brewery. Fitzhugh found the space by word of mouth, after spending the summer selling her goods at the farmers market. She expects the bakery to fully open in midFebruary, providing a “bakery first, coffee

second” space in the Meadow Village Center where Fitzhugh sees her business as a community fit.

“I think all of the businesses [in Meadow Village Center] are going to help each other,” she said. “We’re all really excited to have something that’s going to bring in more foot traffic. I’ve been working with the businesses around here, providing cookies and desserts for their events.”

Since November, Thorn Apple has been ramping up its business through special orders and wholesale baking for Steele Pressed Juice, Big Sky Resort’s three coffee shops, and soon, the Hungry Moose. Once the storefront fully opens, Fitzhugh said special orders can still be placed by emailing the bakery or visiting the new website, also set to launch by mid-February.

Gluten-free, dairy free and “pretty vegan” herself, Fitzhugh’s vision is to accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions at a scale that hasn’t been available in Big Sky. She noted that with uncertainty around the current egg shortage, it’s not an easy time to own a traditional bakery. Still,

Thorn Apple “does some baking with gluten and that good stuff,” she said.

Fitzhugh said that unless customers ask, she often doesn’t mention missing ingredients until after they eat something—like her gluten free and vegan chocolate chip cookie—and they sometimes don’t believe her. If they don’t like the taste, she said they don’t have to pay.

Thorn Apple specializes in dessert spreads and cakes for weddings, special events and birthdays. For holidays including Valentine’s Day, Thorn Apple will put out a menu for advanced orders.

“If anybody has [special requests], we can pretty much do whatever people want if we have enough time,” she said.

Although there’s not grab-and-go goods or coffee yet, the bakery’s current hours are Wednesday through Sunday from roughly 9 a.m. until sometime after 5 p.m. Thorn Apple is looking to hire a front-of-house worker in order to open their storefront.

Fitzhugh renovated the seating area, adjusting the interior paint and adding wallpaper. She plans to add a moss wall near the entrance. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

EBS staff tested the gluten-free, vegan brownie. It was noted as “dense” and “decadent” with a “fudge-like mouthfeel.”

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

Jennifer Fitzhugh (left) and Elissa Skaggs (right) opened Thorn Apple Baking Co. in November 2022. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

REGIONAL

LOCAL SEARCH AND RESCUE ON PACE FOR A BUSY YEAR

SAR RESPONDS TO SEVEN CALLS IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS

EBS STAFF

The Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue team has followed the most demanding year yet with seven rescue missions in the roughly two weeks.

Four missions were to help injured snowmobilers south of Big Sky, one was to help lost snowmobilers near Taylor Fork, one to evacuate an injured skier from Beehive Basin and another was to aid a snowshoer experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath while hiking in Yellowstone National Park not far from West Yellowstone, according to a series of press releases from Gallatin County.

On Sunday, Feb. 5, a skier about a mile up the trail at Upper Beehive Basin suffered a lower leg injury. The skier was pulled out of the basin by a stretcher sled by a SAR volunteers.

On the evening of Feb. 2, two snowmobilers became lost while riding around the area of Slide Creek off Taylor Fork Road. They used a Garmin device to call for assistance, and SAR volunteers from the Big Sky section were able to find the people relatively quickly.

On Jan. 28, a snowmobiler crashed into a tree 1 mile west of West Yellowstone and reportedly fractured their femur. Volunteers from the Custer Gallatin National Forest, Hebgen Basin Rural Fire District and the West Yellowstone SAR section responded and were able to bring the injured rider to an ambulance.

On Jan. 26, a snowmobiler riding southwest of West Yellowstone struck a tree and hurt their arm. A passing snowmobiler helped guide volunteers from four different organizations to the injured

person, who was eventually taken to Bozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center.

On the morning of Jan. 25, a person snowmobiling on Buck Ridge south of Big Sky suffered a leg injury. Volunteers from the SAR Big Sky section assessed the injured rider and brought them back to the trailhead in a specialized rescue sled towed behind a snowmobile.

On the morning of Jan. 24, a snowmobiler riding five miles north of West Yellowstone on the Madison Arm Trail crashed into a tree and sustained injuries to their chest and back. Volunteers from the SAR West Yellowstone section and the Hebgen Fire District evacuated the injured rider in a specialized rescue sled, and the rider was eventually taken to Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg, Idaho.

On Jan. 20, a person snowshoeing on the Riverside Trail a mile east of West Yellowstone began experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath. First responders from the town, Yellowstone and the Hebgen Fire District responded and eventually the person was brought to the Bozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center for further care.

An injured skier was evacuated from Beehive Basin by GCSSAR volunteers. PHOTO COURTESY OF GALLATIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

IN OUTLAW PARTNERS EXPERIENTIAL STORE ONLY

BIG

SKY

SKIJORING

CONTINUES TO THRIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING COMMUNITY PARTNERS MOBILIZED FRIDAY TO RESCUE THE EVENT’S BIGGEST SHOWING YET

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—The Big Sky Skijoring Association held its Best in the West Showdown Feb. 4-5, resulting in a dramatic and well-attended two-day event.

Big Sky resident, national skijoring champion and course designer Colin Cook called it the most consistently large crowd he’s ever seen throughout a skijoring event, especially at the end of each day when the pros finally competed. BSSJ Director Justa Adams believes more than 4,000 attendees passed through the gate. The event’s first ever freestyle snowmobile show launched over a skier and rider in a drone-filmed stunt, and most event merchandise items were sold out by Sunday morning.

However, the entire competition was almost canceled at the last minute due to a mechanical failure on the snowcat being used to finish the course.

After a diesel exhaust fluid pump failure on Thursday night, event organizers contacted Ryan Blechta, Spanish Peaks’ director of mountain operations, asking for backup.

“My snowcat at Spanish Peaks was unfortunately also down, so bad timing,” Blechta told EBS, adding that he would have driven the club’s cat himself if it were running. Working with snowcats since 2013, he’s used to handling component shortages on foreign built machines. He also knew that Moonlight Basin had a couple brand-new cats.

“We’ve got community partners in town. There’s a lot of snowcats that do the work. Between the three clubs, I knew we’d come up with a solution,” Blechta said.

Matt Erickson, Moonlight Basin’s grooming lead, said they were lucky to have more than one PistenBully 100 snowcat—smaller machines used for Nordic tracks and side-trails.

“From my knowledge, we just lent [one] out,” Erickson said. Once we kind of realized this was a big community thing, I just had to climb the ladder and make sure it was OK with everybody. I’m sure any other resort on the mountain would have done the same thing.”

“Thanks to this community, we got Moonlight Basin’s groomer,” Adams said. “If we hadn’t gotten that groomer, we wouldn’t have had an event.”

Even after the machine was secured, the delay compelled Cook to set an “extremely tough” course. Snow was

deeper than ideal in the center track, so Cook made the skier route more difficult in order to keep the horses’ speed down.

“We worked as hard as we could to get [the course] perfect, which we couldn’t do,” Cook said. Before the event began on Saturday, he told skiers and riders that they wouldn’t win by just running as fast as they could.

Montanans take the cake “Skijoring is a team sport, you have to work together,” Cook told EBS. “The rider has to work with the skier and be talented enough with a good horse to do what the skier needs. I always make Big Sky’s course tough. It’s not just a horse race. It’s a three-person sport. You gotta work together, be a team and prove it.”

Josh Abbott and Aaron Griffin did exactly that.

“Josh is a local guy out of Belgrade,” Adams said. “He runs an elk camp out of Sage Creek in Big Sky. I love that he’s a local guy. Aaron Griffin is out of Helena. I love that those two guys won.”

Cook, who also competed in the event, added that he’s good friends with Abbott and Griffin and even works as

an elk-hunting guide for Abbott in the fall. Abbott and Cook held first place after Saturday but Cook crashed on Sunday.

“Josh is an extremely talented rider and has two excellent horses,” Cook said. “Aaron is a very talented skier, he won Pagosa Springs [Colo.] two weeks ago and he’s been doing super well this year. They’re both very talented.”

Cook said from start to finish, this was the most spectators he’s seen at any skijoring event.

“The number I saw at the end of the day was the biggest I’ve [ever] seen,” he said, which had something to do with the snowmobile exposition. Cook intentionally scheduled it late to keep fans around, right before the pro-category which typically wraps up each day. He also gave credit to the announcers and the vendors for keeping the crowd involved.

‘This year I took it to the next level’ Jeremy Ueland, program director for the Big Sky Ski Education Foundation, organized the snowmobile exposition.

“People were going crazy about it. It’s something we don’t [normally] see,” he said. “Those guys are interested. They want to come back and be part of it next year.”

BSSEF has provided spectator and safety fencing throughout the history of this event, and Ueland said he has connections in the snowmobiling world. He proposed the snowmobile exposition last year, but event organizers didn’t go for it. This year as BSSJ brainstormed ways to draw a bigger crowd, Ueland gave it another shot. He worked with Keith Sayers of Butte to set up the show, costing roughly $10,000 which was covered by sponsors including GoPro, Ace Hardware Big Sky, Earth Elements, Mountain Hot Tub and Lone Mountain Land Company.

“It wasn’t a free event,” he pointed out. “They’re paid athletes.”

When Ueland first pitched the snowmobiling idea, Cook decided to incorporate it into his course design.

One team, including their horse, was trained to ride safely under the massive machine with Colin Cook as the skier.

PHOTO BY MARK E. LAROWE

Spectators happily braved snowy conditions on Sunday to watch the skijoring event. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

“I said, ‘I want them jumping over my course,’” Cook recalled.

Snowmobiler Willie Elam damaged his sled on Saturday as he performed that very stunt, but the stunt was executed many more times without a rider below.

“When he flipped it, the rear suspension was [already] broken,” Ueland said. “We called around [but] couldn’t find a part for his race sled which is why he couldn’t ride on Sunday.”

Cook added that last year’s event was the first time skijorers ever jumped over fire.

“This year I took it to the next level,” he said, citing more flames than ever and a hot tub placed beside one jump. “They were strategically placed to keep people safe.”

‘Insane’ and ‘dreamy’ weekend

Due to a miscommunication, the Montana State Rodeo team sent fewer volunteers than expected. On Sunday morning, “Big Sky showed up and helped us get through,” Adams said, as 10 additional community members heeded early-morning text messages asking for event support.

“I’m so grateful to be here, to live here, to work here and be putting on this event,” Adams added.

She also said that all merchandise featuring designs by local artist Madeline Thunder was completely sold out.

“People are messaging and emailing me personally and on social media, asking me to mail them posters and looking to buy sweatshirts,” Adams said.

A four-year Big Sky resident who recently moved to Bozeman, Thunder told EBS that she met Adams at last year’s event, where local tequila company 406 Agave was launching their brand using her designs. Adams asked right then if she’d do design work for this year’s event.

Thunder focused her design on the Western roots of American skijoring, in which riders would go straight

down main street. She used sepia tones as a throwback to ‘wanted’ posters and featured elk as a “crazy” tie-in to local wilderness.

After an exhausting week, Adams told EBS she spent Monday recovering from an “insane” and “dreamy” weekend.

“I’m most glad that landowners were happy, sponsors were happy, horses, skiers and riders were safe,” she said. “My heart is full, and I’m so grateful for our sponsors, our competitors, the weather. The stars really aligned.”

As for next year, Cook said, “I’ve got no plans to do anything different.”

The skijoring designs were featured on a ‘wanted’ style poster above a $15,000 bounty. ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF MADELINE THUNDER

OP NEWS

WILDLANDS FESTIVAL PARTNERS WITH ACTOR TOM SKERRITT, NONPROFITS FOR THE LARGEST RIVER PRESERVATION EVENT IN HISTORY

BIG SKY–Outlaw Partners, in conjunction with actor Tom Skerritt, the EVRGRN Channel and Triple Squirrels Productions, is pleased to announce the largest event to ever be held in support of conserving the Gallatin River and rivers across the country. Wildlands Festival, the largest conservation-focused outdoor music festival in southwest Montana, will take place in Big Sky Aug. 5-6, 2023. The artist announcement and schedule of festival activities will be released on Feb. 21.

The event is a celebration for the 30th anniversary of the Academy Award-winning film, A River Runs Through It, and the 50th anniversary of American Rivers. It comes at a critical time for the Gallatin River, which is threatened by unprecedented development pressure along its length.

American Rivers believes that all life needs healthy rivers to survive. Earlier this year the national nonprofit river conservation organization announced the goal of protecting one million miles of rivers nationwide by 2030. Funds raised at the Wildlands Festival will help the organization work toward that goal and other vital efforts.

“We all need healthy rivers in our lives. Their clean water is essential to our health, and their habitats are critical for wildlife and the entire natural world. Now is the time

to come together for their protection. We are honored to be a beneficiary of this event, and we are excited for the opportunity to celebrate rivers and inspire action in Montana and nationwide,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of American Rivers.

The Wildlands Festival will also bring more attention to policies to help protect rivers including Senator Jon Tester’s Montana Headwaters Legacy Act, which would protect 385 miles of rivers on the Custer-Gallatin and the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forests. This federal legislation, which would double the number of protected river miles in Montana, is the most ambitious river protection bill in the state’s history.

The 2023 Wildlands Festival will feature an all-star lineup of musicians to raise awareness and help preserve America’s rivers, including the locally cherished Gallatin River, where many of the famous scenes from A River Runs Through It were filmed.

In addition to the live concert, Wildlands will offer unique memorabilia and fundraising opportunities to support American Rivers and Gallatin River Task Force—the two nonprofit partners chosen as beneficiaries of this year’s event.

“I’m honored to partner with Wildlands Festival and Outlaw Partners to have a voice and create an impact

of care, concern and change for our rivers through music,” said Skerritt. Preserving America’s rivers is a life-long passion for Skerritt, who served on the board of American Rivers and continues to be a strong advocate for river conservation.

“The core ethos of Wildlands has always been to give back while creating an unforgettable music event celebrating wild and scenic spaces,” said Eric Ladd, Founder and Chairman of Outlaw Partners. “Tom’s passion for rivers and leaving an impact for future generations is commendable. We’re grateful to produce Wildlands Festival in support of rivers and the invaluable partners in our backyard.”

“The Task Force is thrilled to be included as a beneficiary in this year’s Wildlands Festival. The overwhelming support of this community to invest in our work and in the solutions for the Gallatin River is critical to our success,” said Kristin Gardner, Chief Executive and Science Officer of the Gallatin River Task Force. “The event provides tremendous potential to raise awareness about our community resource—and the means by which we must work to keep it thriving. We couldn’t be more grateful to have this public platform to elevate the importance of keeping the Gallatin healthy.”

Stay tuned to wildlandsfestival.com for updates.

To honor Tony’s vision for Bozeman youth soccer, lacrosse, and field sports, memorial gifts may be made to the Bozeman Sports Parks Foundationthe organization he helped establish and still worked for.

bozemansportsparks.org

Via mail: PO Box 1126, Bozeman, MT 59771

Remembering Tony Rich, former Board Chair and Facilities Director, 1949-2023

GEORGE HI L L

ARTIST RECEPTION

“SYMBIOSIS”

FEBRUARY 18TH | 5 - 8PM

COURTNEY COLLINS FINE ART | 32 TOWN CENTER AVE

Enjoy the sounds of critically acclaimed violist Patricia McCarty playing solo viola Baroque to present day with wine, and hors d’oeuvres!

TINWORKS ART NAMES JENNY MOORE AS FOUNDING DIRECTOR

EBS STAFF

The board of directors at Tinworks Art, an immersive art gallery in Bozeman’s Northeast Neighborhood, appointed Jenny Moore as the gallery’s founding director, according to a Feb. 1 press release. The board selected Moore after a national search for a director, the release said. She will start the position in March.

Moore was a curator at the New Museum and at the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York City until she became the director at the contemporary Chinati Foundation art museum in Marfa, Texas from 2013 to 2022 where she led the museum through a period of significant growth.

“From her work in Marfa, we know Jenny to be a passionate advocate for artists, artistic production, and community engagement,” said Greg Avis, chair of the Tinworks Art board in the release. “She has the broad experience, proven leadership skills, and sincere enthusiasm to lead Tinworks Art through this important period of growth and establish it as a distinct cultural hub and artistic innovator in the field of contemporary art in Bozeman, the region and beyond.”

Tinworks Art was established in 2019, and according to the release, the board hopes Moore’s guidance will lead the gallery “into its next era” through growing its contemporary art program, activating site-specific commissions and formalizing operations.

“Tinworks Art presents a unique opportunity to build a new organization, one open to unbounded possibilities for artistic experimentation in a spectacular place,” said Moore in the release. “I have been drawn to artist centered alternative spaces since my early professional days in New York. Having grown up in a small, rural community, and having spent the last decade in the far west Texas frontier, I believe in the power and potential of places set apart from established art world centers.”

Moore holds a master’s of arts degree from the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College and a bachelor’s of arts degree in cultural anthropology from Wake Forest University.

Tinworks Art is located at 719 N. Ida Avenue in Bozeman, Montana, and is open seasonally from July to October. For more information visit tinworksart.org.

ARTS COUNCIL OF BIG SKY ANNOUNCES SOUND AND COLOR SOIRÉE

EBS STAFF

BIG SKY—The Arts Council of Big Sky on Feb. 1 announced the Sound and Color Soirée, an event to preview the council’s 11th Annual Auction for the Arts, will take place on Feb. 23 at the Independent in Big Sky.

Selected artworks from the Mar. 2 auction will be on display alongside live visual and performance artists, according to the press release. Attendees may also view a video catalog of all the works that will be presented at the auction. The free event

begins at 4 p.m. and will include complimentary light snacks and a cash bar.

Arts Council lead art instructor and studio manager Julie Edwards will offer pottery demonstrations from 4-6 p.m. and artist Matilda Wentzel will provide a live painting demonstration from 6-9 p.m. Live jazz music from Kearan Samsel will play in the background from 6-9 p.m. and Bozeman-based songwriter Amanda Stewart will perform alongside Thad Beaty and Annie Clements to close out the event from 9-10:30 p.m.

The catalog for the silent auction will open for online bidding at 9 a.m. on Feb. 23 and staff from

the Arts Council will be available to assist in registration at the event.

“The Soirée is intended to provide Big Sky’s art enthusiasts an opportunity to engage with the artwork and artists prior to the main fundraising gala,” the release stated.

The Arts Council’s auction will take place on Mar. 2 at Montage Big Sky and supports local, regional and national artists while raising funds for the Arts Council’s educational programs. For more information about the Soirée or the auction, visit bigskyarts.org.

Tinworks Art calls Bozeman’s Northeast Neighborhood home.

PHOTO BY JASON BACAJ

CALL FOR FY24 RESORT TAX FUNDING APPLICATIONS

The Big Sky Resort Area District is accepting Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) for the FY24 (7/1/23-6/30/24) funding cycle beginning on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. An LOI is an organization’s formal request to apply for Resort Tax funds. Approved projects will be invited to complete Applications beginning Wednesday, March 1, 2023. As required by law, an applicant must be a legal entity formed under the laws of the State of Montana. The applicant must be “an entity” that is capable of both “legally and practically” carrying out the purpose of the allocation and located within the Resort Area District. The applicant must be a governmental unit, corporation, or limited partnership with the capability of being legally bound by an agreement.

LOIs and supporting documents must be completed using the online portal by Wednesday, February 15, 2023, to be considered. Applications and supporting documents must be completed using the online portal and must be submitted by Friday, March 31, 2023, to be considered for funding. More information can be found at ResortTax.Org/Funding or by contacting the District Office at 406-995-3234.

PUBLIC NOTICE CLASSIFIED

Executive Director, Nonprofit - Wellness in Action is seeking an executive director with experience in fundraising, strategic planning, and nonprofit management.

Email info@wiabigsky.org or visit bigskywia.org for more information.

- Bobcats are elusive and nocturnal, so they are rarely spotted by humans. Although they are seldom seen, they roam throughout much of North America.

- Fierce hunters, bobcats can kill prey much bigger than themselves, but usually eat rabbits, birds, mice, squirrels and other smaller game.

- In some areas, bobcats are still trapped for their soft, spotted fur North American populations are believed to be quite large, with perhaps as many as one million cats in the United States alone. They face habitat destruction from agricultural and industrial development as well urban sprawl. The ever-expanding human population further limits their ranges.

Bobcat // Lynx rufus

NPS PHOTO

BIG SKY EVENTS CALENDAR

Thursday, Feb. 9 – 22

If your next event falls between Feb. 23 and March 8, please submit it to media@theoutlapartners.com by

THURSDAY, FEB. 9

ARTventure Afterschool Program BASE, 4:30 p.m.

Drop-In Hockey

Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 8 p.m.

Live Music: Willie Waldman Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 10

BSCO Social Cross-Country Ski Crail Ranch, 10 a.m.

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 5 p.m.

Schwer-Toepffer Soirée: Voltaire’s Candide Big Sky Chapel, 7:30 p.m.

Live Music: Willie Waldman Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB. 11

Facial Gua Sha Class

Santosha Wellness Center, 1 p.m.

Chocolate, Love & Connection: A Couple’s Workshop

Santosha Wellness Center, 3:30 p.m.

Big Sky Winter Market Wilson Hotel, 5 p.m.

St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 5 p.m.

NPR’s “Planet Money Live!” Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Amanda Stewart featuring Annie Clements Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Powell Brothers Tips Up, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, FEB. 12

St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.

All Saints in Big Sky Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 4 p.m.

Big Sky Christian Fellowship Service Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.

MONDAY, FEB. 13

Live Music: Amanda Stewart Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, FEB. 14

Big Sky Chamber of Commerce Board Meeting Big Sky Chamber of Commerce, 8:30 a.m.

Live Music: Kylie Spence Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15

Learn to Skate (4-5)

Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 5:30 p.m.

Learn to Skate (6-8) Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 6:15 p.m. Trivia The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Chandler Huntley Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Brian Stumpf Tips Up, 9:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, FEB. 16

Visit Big Sky Board of Directors Meeting Big Sky Chamber of Commerce, 8:30 a.m.

Community Acupuncture Santosha Wellness Center, 11 a.m.

ARTventure Afterschool Program BASE, 4:30 p.m.

Big Sky SNO Climate Action Launch with Conrad Anker The Independent, 6 p.m.

Drop-In Hockey

Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 8 p.m.

Live Music: One Leaf Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 17

BSCO Social Cross-Country Ski BASE, 10 a.m.

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 5 p.m.

Live Music: Jamie Wyman Band Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB 18 Big Sky Winter Market Wilson Hotel, 5 p.m.

St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 5 p.m.

Live Music: Amanda Stewart featuring Annie Clements Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

Live Music: DJ Large Human Tips Up, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, FEB. 19

St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.

All Saints in Big Sky Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 4 p.m.

Big Sky Christian Fellowship Service Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.

MONDAY, FEB. 20

Live Music: Amanda Stewart Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, FEB. 21

Live Music: Kylie Spence Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22

Learn to Skate (4-5) Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 5:30 p.m.

Emotional First Aid Class with Shannon Steele Santosha Wellness Center, 6 p.m.

Learn to Skate (6-8) Marty Pavelich Ice Rink, 6:15 p.m.

Trivia The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Chandler Huntley Montage Big Sky, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Kaylie Marie Tips Up, 9:30 p.m.

FEATURED EVENT: BIG SKY SNO CLIMATE ACTION LAUNCH

The Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization is launching their Climate Action Plan at the Independent on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. The plan is aimed at providing a trail map for the Big Sky community to reach net zero emissions and greater resilience by 2050. The event will feature American climber, mountaineer and climate activist Conrad Anker as a keynote speaker, short films by Protect Our Winters and a panel of local and regional speakers including Big Sky Resort’s Taylor Middleton. For more information, check out p. 8.

BY MIRA BRODY

BUSINESS

MAKING IT IN BIG SKY: BIG SKY RESORT AREA DISTRICT

This article was originally published in January of 2021. With the Resort Tax allocation period coming to a close, we thoughts we’d rerun this MIIBS to celebrate the work BSRAD does for our community.

BIG SKY – In 1998, the general electorate of the Big Sky Resort Area voted to create a district for local administration of Big Sky’s Resort Tax, which is applied to “luxury” goods as a means to fund community needs. Since then, it has initiated over $80 million in investments, playing a significant role in funding priority programs and projects throughout Big Sky.

Explore Big Sky spoke with BSRAD’s Executive Director, Daniel Bierschwale about how BSRAD has met the needs of Big Sky since its inception, and how it has adapted to a quickly-growing community. Bierschwale, who has always been passionate about serving the Greater Yellowstone region since he first visited in college, says he is fortunate to work with one of the most committed and talented crews in Big Sky.

The following responses have been edited for brevity.

Explore Big Sky: Let’s start with a little background information on you, when did you come to Big Sky?  Daniel Bierschwale: My passion for Big Sky originated from working in Yellowstone National Park during a summer in college. As the son of a minister, my family moved frequently. As a result, I set out to put down roots in Greater Yellowstone and Montana, making it home in 2007 with a relocation to Big Sky in 2019.

EBS: When did you become involved with BSRAD?

D.B.: My involvement with Resort Tax dates back to my time in Gardiner and the Paradise Valley. During those years I played an active role in public/ private partnerships including implementing the Resort Tax in Gardiner. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to apply this experience to my role with the Big Sky Resort Area District.

EBS: Tell me about the history of BSRAD: when did it start?

D.B.: In 1992, the general electorate of the Big Sky Resort Area voted to adopt a Resort Tax to be charged on “luxury” goods and services not deemed “necessities of life.” In 1998, the general electorate of

the Big Sky Resort Area voted to create a District for local administration of the Resort Tax. Resort Tax is collected and remitted by local businesses operating within the District. The locally elected Board of five volunteer Directors strategically invests funds to address critical community needs.

EBS: How has it grown to address the needs in the Big Sky community?

D.B.: Our vision is that “Big Sky is BETTER TOGETHER as a result of wise investments, an engaged community, and the pursuit of excellence.” Since its inception, over $80 million in investments have played a significant role in funding priority programs and projects throughout Big Sky. Included in these investments are Health and Safety, Public Works, Recreation and Conservation, Economic Development, Arts and Education, and Housing. The community guided “Our Big Sky Vision and Strategy” has really helped serve as an overarching framework for ensuring we are making the right investments.

EBS: How big is your team?

D.B.: I like to think we have one of the most committed and talented crews in Big Sky. In addition to our devoted Board of five Directors, we have a small paid staff of four that consists of myself (Executive Director), Kristin Drain (Finance and Compliance Manager), Jenny Muscat (Operations Manager) and Sara Huger (Administrative Assistant). We are always thrilled to share our efforts with the community and give anyone and overview of our operation (located above Grizzly Outfitters).

EBS: Tell me about the different services you provide to the community?

D.B.: Our operation consists of two umbrellas including Compliance (collection of the tax) and Investment (using the tax). That said we truly do adapt to meet community need and support as a convening entity at times. For example, last year many of you saw us distributing and collecting COVID-19 tests for Big Sky’s testing program. More recent examples include supporting the Community Vision and Strategy Implementation Team, supporting the Post Office in Federal discussions to address demand, and engaging to get the TIGER grant to the finish line.

EBS: What is your favorite experience working for BSRAD?

D.B.: It really doesn’t get much better than seeing community initiatives come to fruition. Knowing public dollars have been used to bring the vision of our community into reality brings us joy. For example, we have all been watching the work on BASE and are excited for it to open.

EBS: Is there anything else that I should know or that you want to tell the Big Sky Community about BSRAD and the work you do?

D.B.: BSRAD has two strategic partnership initiatives underway. Over the past six months a subcommittee with representation from Madison and Gallatin Counties and BSRAD has been underway to open communication and planning for jointly funded initiatives. Similarly, we have been working closely with our community foundations to seek alignment with funding priorities. It’s very exciting to see both initiatives take shape and ultimately ensure we are collectively addressing community need.

EBS: What is the best business advice you have ever received?

D.B.: Partnership is a handshake not a handout.

In addition to our devoted Board of five Directors, the Big Sky Resort Area District has a paid staff of four: Daniel Bierschwale (Executive Director), Kristin Drain (Finance and Compliance Manager), Jenny Muscat (Operations Manager) and Sara Huger (Administrative Assistant). PHOTO COURTESY OF BSRAD

It really doesn’t get much better than seeing community initiatives come to fruition. Knowing public dollars have been used to bring the vision of our community into reality brings us joy.

– Daniel Bierschwale, Executive Director of BSRAD

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OPINION

EVERY DROP COUNTS HOW BIG SKY PUSHED THE ENVELOPE ON COMMUNITY WASTEWATER REUSE

BY MARNE HAYES EBS COLUMNIST

The term "discharge permit" in a conversation involving the Gallatin River may raise more than a few eyebrows. The idea of what that means, and the threat that exists around the (never-realized) potential of exercising that permit has long hung over Big Sky like a dark cloud.

The reality is that Big Sky is one of the few Montana communities that has never used a discharge permit to dispose of their treated wastewater into surface water and gave up their original discharge permit over 15 years ago. The motivation by the community’s water and sewer district was then, and continues to be, to explore other and more suitable options for reuse of our community’s treated wastewater that raise the bar on sustainability, and protect the future of water in the face of unprecedented growth and changes in climate.

For the better part of nearly three decades, the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District has been treating and reusing community wastewater rather than disposing of the water in the Gallatin River. Reuse presents a shared win-win; it provides the BSWSD with a method of disposal and provides community partners with a source of water as an alternative to using potable groundwater for irrigation or other applications.

Wastewater from homes and businesses is treated and stored in ponds where it is held until it is reused to irrigate community golf courses and open spaces. Now, the BSWSD is upping their game with the construction of a high-tech $50 million project that will set an unprecedented standard for community wastewater treatment.

Money, engineering, planning, surveying and sophisticated work with state and federal agencies have gone into the new wastewater treatment plant that is rising before our eyes in Big Sky’s Meadow Village. This higher level of treatment will allow BSWSD to pursue additional wastewater reuse options that are beneficial for the water system, like snowmaking and groundwater discharge. Communities across the West are moving toward increasing wastewater reuse options to combat drought and a future with less available water.

Getting to this point, however, deserves recognition. And the path for how our community, and our district, avoided using a discharge permit is one of the most important pieces of the story to tell.

In the late 1990s, the then-engineers’ plan for our community’s 20-year growth included the consideration for how Big Sky would collect, treat and dispose of our wastewater. Part of the solution at that time was a direct discharge permit allowing approximately 20 million gallons into the Gallatin. The permit for a municipality, industry or other entity requesting to discharge water to a

surface water of the state requires that the entity first obtain a permit for this from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. At the time, forecasting the growth ahead, this was the most appropriate foreseeable option to accommodate the flow of wastewater coming into the plant. Though the district received a seasonal discharge permit in 1998, which they held for 10 years, the pipeline to the river was never built, and the district allowed the permit to lapse in 2008.

Fast forward nearly 30 years, and the district continues to invest in environmentally sound options that are not the ‘easy’ way around our growing community’s wastewater needs (and more importantly, not the most affordable), but are the options that defined the best interests of Big Sky and the health of the Gallatin.

“The easy way out is and has always been to use a stream discharge permit”, says Ron Edwards, BSWSD General Manager. “That would

have taken care of a significant amount of the community’s wastewater, even in the early years of our growth. Taking the easy way out was never an option the district chose to pursue. That’s how we are where we are today, continuing our investments in state-of-the-art technology to continue reusing our treated wastewater for irrigation and snowmaking.”

Today, Big Sky is home to the largest zero-direct discharge facility in the state. The new plant, expected to be fully online by 2024, will treat this community’s wastewater using a technology that is designed to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus levels in effluent water by roughly 75% and 95%, respectively. With a $50 million price tag, construction and development would not have been possible without commitment from the Big Sky Resort Area District’s investment or the 1% for infrastructure bill, which passed in 2020.

When all is said and done, BSRAD will have invested nearly $27 million in technological advancements to support a cleaner, more environmentally sound method of managing a growing community’s wastewater, and the BSWSD will have taken on a project that, in total, cost close to $80 million over more than two decades.

Other critical advancements have developed along the way, including the path to using treated wastewater for snowmaking, with the first snowmaking project in Montana expected to be up and running in the Yellowstone Club by 2024. With the ability to reuse 170-175 million gallons of treated wastewater running through the community’s treatment plant in the form of irrigation and snowmaking, the district is relieving the pressure on our drinking water sources and continues to pave the way to a more robust, reliable practice of reusing water for a growing community.

Marne Hayes is the communications manager for the Gallatin River Task Force.

A person fly-fishes the Gallatin River in winter. PHOTO BY TYLER BUSBY

Community members toured the new Water Resource Recovery Center in Big Sky in October 2022. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

A LA CARTE FOR THE LOVE OF FISH

BY RACHEL HERGETT EBS COLUMNIST

I found the chef/owner of Izakaya Three Fish in his restaurant on a February afternoon, tucked behind a huge frosted glass door in the midst of the bars and restaurants on the main floor of the Old Bozeman hotel. There’s a beauty in subtlety for Paul Naugle, who most people just call “Sushi Paul.” He’s drawn to sushi because of the simplicity. Rice, fish and a little bit of salt can create magic on the palate.

“Sushi makes you feel something…” he said. “I’ve seen more people take a bite of sushi and close their eyes and enjoy it than I have with any other type of food.”

Paul recalls his first visit to the Naked Fish in Lake Tahoe, where he worked under Chef Tamotsu Suzuki, with a kind of wonder. Suzuki had developed a huge Japanese following who would fill up the bar on Thursdays, when the chef offered his friends and customers dishes that weren’t on the menu. Paul got a taste when he became a weekly regular.

“I’d never experienced anything like that before,” he said.

I understand when Paul tells me how he had eaten sushi before, but Suzuki made it entirely new. I felt a similar wonder the first time Paul served me. Sitting at the Montana Fish Co. sushi bar, which he helped expand from four to 10 seats, I told him I grew up eating Japanese food with my grandmother, Keiko, and was not afraid to try new foods. He served me a fish skeleton—the remains of a small mackerel after its filets became a variety of complementary nigiri, the type of sushi with fish pressed on top of tiny loaves of rice. Usually, I’ve found, it’s best to trust the chef.

But people don’t. At Fish Co., Paul would spend extra time crafting a sushi case with unique ingredients only to have customers ordering tuna and salmon off the menu. And when he said he was going to stop offering the rolls people know and love, one friend told him it would be the death of his restaurant. It wasn’t.

There is no menu offered at Izakaya, with all seatings (booked through text at 406-219-1259) served a chef’s choice “omakase” meal that allows for change with the seasons—or with delays in

shipping from vendors on the coasts or around the world. Every day starts as a mystery for Paul, who has menu ideas based off what he has ordered from suppliers but doesn’t know which will speak to him as a chef when he receives the ingredients.

The restaurant may offer more warmer dishes in the winter, adding pork cutlets (tonkatsu) or savory custards (chawanmushi) to his tasting menu. But Paul doesn’t like to be tied to any rules, wiping the number of courses he usually offers in the menu off the website, eatdrinkplace.com. Maybe he’s best without rules. Sushi Paul was nominated for a James Beard Award for the second year in a row, an honor he found out well after the fact because he was busy fishing in Belize (a favorite pastime).

Perhaps he loves fish because he’s a pisces, Paul joked. Or maybe it’s because of his mother’s love for shellfish. Or his uncle Stevie’s influence. Paul, who grew up in Pennsylvania, remembers trips to the Chesapeake with Stevie, a man dialed into the commercial fishing scene. Stevie liked to “collect” types of fish. Paul rattles off their names, along with those he is slicing into strips so thin you can see

through them as he talks—flounder, speckled trout, shima aji, kinmidai. He doesn’t have a favorite.

“I like the meal as a whole more than anything,” he said.

Sushi Paul said he is happier than he has ever been, manning his own sushi bar alongside girlfriend and mixologist, Maddi Honnold, and Ben Bugnon, who makes the hot foods. If he could change anything right now, it would be to find the right team of people to open Izakaya more than four nights a week. He has high hopes for a new hire who starts soon.

“I love sharing in food,” he said.

Rachel Hergett is a foodie and cook from Montana. She is arts editor emeritus at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and has written for publications such as Food Network Magazine and Montana Quarterly. Rachel is also the host of the Magic Monday Show on KGLT-FM and teaches at Montana State University.

Paul Naugle, chef and owner of Izakaya Three Fish, is better known as "Sushi Paul" to patrons. PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT

Hand rolls, also called temaki, are similar to sushi rolls. They contain vinegared rice and sashimi (raw fish), vegetables, or other fillings enclosed in a nori (seaweed) cone.

PHOTO BY ME BROWN

A first course of freshly imported oysters. PHOTO BY ME BROWN

A hand crafted serving of sashimi. One of many courses created by "Sushi Paul." PHOTO BY ME BROWN

Dear Badger,

What happens when a certain group in a growing community takes over businesses, local housing, and more… and there’s no one in charge to stop them? Raising rents, lowering wages, making up their own rules while the rest of the community suffers, moves away, or just keeps placating them. How can we fight back and save our homes/lives?

Sincerely,

Usually Non-Confrontational

Dear Usually Not But Boy Howdy Are You Now Confrontational,

I frequent areas of Big Sky where gossip flows (which is literally everywhere) and I’ve heard of such things happening in our community. This is a fun question, as the other ones have felt like easy prey… a field mouse vs an ermine. So, I’ll start with a story that comes to mind. One of my cousins, a Yellowstone National Park badger, had a family of foxes set up a den very close to her sett (an underground badger home) in a very public area. The foxes became celebrities. Tourists loved seeing those fluffy tails, baby foxes, and fox family dynamics. They were adorable, but my badger cousin just saw them as annoying snacks. Badgers have never cared for celebrities.

My cousin was used to a quiet home. The foxes brought camera crews and reveled in the attention. So my cousin formed a plan. She fought the mother fox one day and went into the cave with a cub. The camera crews were crushed, as they thought the badger had done what badgers do… lured prey underground to eat them. But my cousin only ate the food stash the foxes had put aside. The cub came out to spectators’ cheers. My badger cousin felt that the warning was heard. Move out, frilly folks. Well the frilly folks just set up another den 30 feet away. The cameras flashed and the badger’s temper flashed as well. My angry cousin then scampered over

to the new den and ate the fox cubs to the horror of the camera crew. Milquetoasts. It’s nature, people. This stuff happens every day in the wild. I think we’re seeing that it’s also happening in Big Sky.

Companies saw what Big Sky could become and did what large corporations do: Followed a plan. Part of that plan is to make all the businesses in town profitable, which means taking the humans out of the equation and making it just that—an equation. I’m sure they’re not sitting Scrooge McDuck-like behind a pile of money laughing as people suffer. I’m also sure they’re not weeping for them either. I think when you’re that deep into a project you just see the project and try to keep as many people happy as possible. Lots of local businesses pay higher wages and don’t have a high profit margin as a result. And that’s just fine because they aren’t in it to make tons of money. But larger corporations are, in fact, in it for the money.

You need to ask whether this is the town you want or the town you’re stuck in. Higher rents, increased property values, multiple exclusive clubs, and construction traffic are all part of the current plan. It was always going to happen, just like it’s happened in other ski towns.

I’m just watching it all from my sett, wondering who’s the fox and who’s the badger? I’ve seen it time and time

again: The most vicious wins. Sometimes the vicious one is a big corporation with nothing to lose and sometimes (though rarely), it’s the little revolutionaries. The corporation can force the employees to accept lower wages because they know that some other kid will take the lower wages and employee housing.

I’ve heard folks outside of my sett say, “It’s not personal, it’s business.” Listen, I’m just a badger but I think it’s both. We have a ton of helpful community organizations, leagues, sports scholarships, and free concerts. We even have free mental health counseling, which I know most mountain lions use.

I’ve seen decades of young humans come to this town and live on low wages in employee housing. This usually isn’t their last stop. We must realize that, like the wildlife, lots of people are being driven out of Big Sky because their cozy dens are no longer cozy or affordable. My only bit of badger advice is that you decide whether you want to start a vicious fight or accept what’s happening as inevitable.

Are you a fox or a badger?

Sincerely,

Badger

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE FORESTS

OF STONE

BY PAUL SWENSON EBS COLUMNIST

Like the rock record I have presented in the last few articles, our region has many layers to its geologic history. I would like to build upon what you have read so far, continuing the ongoing saga of the Big Sky area. It’s a long and complex story and sometimes gets a little heated.

Sitting in the minus 35-degree cold last in late January, I needed to think of something warm, and there is nothing warmer than volcanism. Magma comes to the surface of the Earth at 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, where it becomes lava once it reaches the surface. There are several types of magma depending on its source: fluid, basaltic magma if it passes through thin oceanic crust, like Hawaii, or thick, explosive, andesitic magma if it passes through continental crust, like the Cascade or Andes Mountain ranges.

The Gallatin-Absaroka volcanic field is an immense collection of volcanic rocks that stretches 200 miles from Hyalite Canyon just south of Bozeman, to Dubois Wyoming, and averages about 60 miles across. Depending on where you measure the thickness of this formation, it can be 2000 feet to 5000 feet thick.

The age of this volcanism is between 53 and 43 million years ago. This date coincides with the end of the uplift of the Rocky Mountains. Therefore, these volcanic rocks were emplaced on land surface high above sea level. It is not surprising then that many of our highest peaks along the Gallatin Crest trail, through Yellowstone Park, then down into the Absaroka range in Wyoming are composed of these volcanic rocks. Here are a few of our local peaks that are a result of this volcanism: Blackmore, Hyalite, Fridley, The Sentinel, Fortress, Ramshorn, Washburn, and the list keeps going. Between here

and Dubois, there are 130 named 10,000-foot plus peaks in this volcanic field. Of course, the rocks of these mountains have also been shaped by water, ice, wind and time.

Another fascinating aspect of this formation is found when one observes the locations of the volcanoes or other vent complexes that brought the magma to the surface. Over the 200-mile length there are twelve identified major vents: Point of Rocks, Emigrant Peak, Electric Peak (YNP), and others. Their distribution and rock types are very similar to the Cascade Range of Washington and Oregon. Imagine standing here 50 million years ago, looking towards Gardiner. We would see volcanoes that looked like Mt. Hood, St. Helens, Baker or Rainer. And just like the Cascade volcanoes, our local ones would have similar type explosive eruptions—think mount St. Helens.

During the 1980 eruption of mount St. Helens, there was a huge landslide that started the major eruption, but another more far reaching event also occurred. During the initial phase, the snow and glaciers on the mountain melted sending torrential floods down the mountain sides mixing with volcanic ash and rocks causing very large mud and debris flow called a lahar. In the Toutle River valley below the volcano, 3 billion cubic yards of mud and debris were deposited along the first 20 mile stretch. Thousands of trees were inundated by this lahar.

So how does this influence us locally? The thousands of feet of rocks at the headwaters of most of the drainages east of highway 191 consist of layers upon layers of lahars, and contained within them are trees, 50-million-year-old trees. They were buried in the hot mud and rock of lahars that killed all the bacteria and fungi that would normally decompose the wood. Instead, the silica rich ground water surrounded and permeated the wood of the trees replacing the organic material of the cells of the tree with silica. These trees became rock— petrified wood.

This happened time and time again. In the Gallatin Petrified Forest up Tom Miner Basin, there are 27 different levels of petrified trees, some of which are still preserved upright. Paleologists have identified many different species of trees that lived here including sequoia, redwoods, magnolia, ferns, pine, elm, willows, and others. Hiking along Windy Pass, Fortress, Ramshorn or Specimen Ridge, one will see these trees in the rock faces. Please do not disturb any of the petrified trees where they are found in these layers.

Petrified wood is fairly hard, so one can find pieces that have been eroded and washed down into the gravel bars of the Gallatin and Yellowstone rivers. They are fun little treasures to find, especially when the fishing is slow. They are beautiful and you can still see the growth rings, the grain, and if you’re lucky, there might be small pockets of agate. It’s cold, but thinking about splashing about in the river next summer will get us through it.

Paul Swenson has been living in and around the Big Sky area since 1966. He is a retired science teacher, fishing guide, Yellowstone guide and naturalist. Also an artist and photographer, Swenson focuses on the intricacies found in nature.

Fortress Mountain at the head of the Porcupine Creek drainage shows horizontal layering of volcanic mud flows, ash beds, lava flows and stream deposits.

PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

Petrified wood from a gravel bar, and an agatized chunk of a lahar.

PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

SKI TIPS WITH DAN EGAN MAKE THE FIRST TURN BEST

BY DAN EGAN EBS COLUMNIST

The conditions this season have been amazing, the mountain is chock full with snow, making runs that you might have skied by in the past look very inviting. Often, the resistance to skiing a new slope, run or glades is the entry. How many times have you thought, “I would like to ski that, but I’m unsure of the entrance and nervous about the first turn.”

And you are right, the first turn of a run sets up the rhythm, confidence, pace and path of any decent. It is the key that unlocks a wide-open powder slope, glades, moguls and chutes. To maximize the benefit of the first turn, focus on your “Angle of Entry” into the arcing turn and you’ll discover how it sets up the rhythm and flow of the rest of the run.

I choose my Angle of Entry into turns based on the pitch of the slope. On green slopes, my skis ride more direct down the fall line, blue square trails I aim slightly off the fall line, black diamonds halfway between perpendicular and straight down. Up on the big steep faces, depending on the width of the slope, I drop the tips of the skis just from perpendicular to the slope and begin to move into the turn. Seeing these angles will help on several levels—it builds the proper momentum needed to initiate the turn, your body will be moving in the direction of the fall line and more importantly, it sets the pace and the path you need for a successful series of turns.

The mistake many skiers make is traversing into their first turn. This approach does not set up the proper momentum and more importantly, requires radical movement into the fall line creating a situation where most skiers over-rotate their skis in an attempt to control speed. This shortens the arc and puts the skier out of balance as they try to redirect their skis 180 degrees in the opposite direction. Remember, like all things, to start on a slope where you are comfortable and build the skill from there.

The Angle of Entry to most turns is in the direction of the fall line. When you move in this direction, you’re in balance. Don’t rush or shorten the arc as you enter the arc of the turn. An arcing ski is a stable ski; shorten the arc, you shorten your stability. There are many advantages to starting your run in this fashion. First, it provides momentum and gets you up to your skiing speed, so it is more natural to start a turn, rather than starting by skiing across the hill. Secondly, by starting in a diagonal direction your skis will have an easier time entering the fall line.

Now stand on top of that powder slope, glades, mogul run or chute you have been eyeing and eager to ski.

Look down the fall line, identify deceleration zones, either wide sections, large moguls with long backsides or opening between trees. As your skis enter the fall line stand tall, hands extended, shoulders square to the hills and your eyes down the fall line, not across the hill.

Because you will be entering the arc with the right angle, you’ll want to start to mix up the flow of your turns, from short radius to long radius turns this will add control to your skiing and broaden your decision making as far as where you go and why. Often, the slope starts off ideal for medium radius turns, then narrows in the midsection for shorter turns and finally opens at the bottom for wide-open arcing turns.

Look down the fall line and see yourself arcing turns in a smooth fluid fashion down the slope.

Remember, momentum is your friend. You have the skills necessary to apply specific technique in specific areas of the runs and choosing the angle of entry into turns ski will provide the stability you need to adjust your route, speed and path. Identify the different sections of the trails, sections that call for flowing and slowing. Then, within these sections, mentally identify the length of the arc of the turns. Now push off and ski to the predetermined plan, mixing up the length of your arcs, the pace of your turns.

Extreme Skiing Pioneer, Dan Egan coaches and guides at Big Sky Resort during the winter. His 2022/23 steeps camps at Big Sky Resort run, March 1-3, and March 8-10. His book, “Thirty Years in a White Haze” was released 2021 and his newest book All-Terrain Skiing II was released in November 2022, and comes with Free App which you can download from Google and Apple app stores. His books and worldwide ski camps are available at www.dan-egan.com

Dan finds the “Angle of Entry.”

PHOTO BY DEGAN MEDIA

21 SITTING BULL ROAD, UNIT #1260

BEAVERHEAD DRIVE, UNIT #302

32 MARKET PLACE, UNIT #1A

60 BIG SKY RESORT ROAD, UNIT #10511

BIG SKY BEATS GROUNDHOG DAY

BY JULIA BARTON

Groundhog Day is an American tradition that has been celebrated on Feb. 2 since 1887 during which a groundhog dubbed Punxsutawney Phil predicts whether or not spring will arrive early. In the 1993 film “Groundhog Day,” Bill Murray stars as a cynical television weatherman who becomes trapped in a time loop where he has to cover the Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania over and over again. Murray’s character holds disdain for covering what he views as small-town local news, and is stuck in the loop until he learns to appreciate the town and his experiences with community members. Luckily for the EBS staff, news in Big Sky keeps us on our toes and out of any Groundhog Day situations. Here’s a playlist inspired by the film.

1. “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher

2. “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher

3. “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher

4. “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher

5. “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher

6. “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher

7. “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher

8. “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher

9. “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher

10. “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher

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PHOTOS BY HOLLY PIPPEL